When Po found Gustave, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit user lay unconscious among the ruins, his clothes torn and singed from the tremendous battle. Not far from where he'd fallen, a massive crater stretched several kilometers wide and dozens of meters deep, its edges still glowing red-hot like molten magma - the devastating aftermath of the Thunder God's final attack.
The Slave King and his entire underground empire had been completely obliterated. Not even ash remained of the man who had terrorized the archipelago for decades.
Po carefully lifted his friend and began ascending toward their ship using Geppo. Halfway through his journey, he spotted Tom's distinctive silhouette in the distance and remembered the cat had been dealing with the remaining surface forces.
The mission was complete - all the slaves had escaped successfully. Po descended to collect Tom, who promptly leaped onto his head with characteristic cartoon agility, and the trio made their way back to their ship.
Aboard the ship, the three rescued mermaids had followed Gustave's instructions and sought out Jinbe. When the fish-man fighter saw them, his eyes widened in shock - these were mermaids who had been missing from Fish-Man Island for months. The fact that they'd been prisoners of the Slave King explained why his search efforts had proven fruitless.
Gustave has now saved not only Camie but three other mermaids as well, Jinbe realized with growing respect. He's become a true benefactor to Fish-Man Island.
The reunion was interrupted when Po arrived carrying Tom and the unconscious Gustave.
"Uncle Gustave!" Luffy cried out, rushing to his mentor's side.
"Brother Gustave!" Ace and Camie chorused, their voices filled with worry as they surrounded their fallen friend.
"Mr. Po, what happened to Mr. Gustave?" Jinbe asked with urgent concern.
"I'm not entirely certain of the details," Po replied, gently laying Gustave on the deck. "When I found him, he was already unconscious like this."
"Do you need medical assistance? We could take Mr. Gustave to Fish-Man Island immediately," Jinbe offered without hesitation. "As our island's benefactor, he would receive the finest care available!"
"Thank you for the generous offer, Mr. Jinbe, but Tom is our doctor. Let him examine the situation first," Po replied diplomatically. After all, Tom's cartoon physics often produced medical miracles that defied conventional medicine.
Tom immediately set to work, producing his magical stethoscope from thin air and conducting a thorough examination. After several minutes, he straightened up, smoothed his chest, and released a long, exaggerated sigh of relief before turning to address the anxious group with elaborate gestures.
While Jinbe, Camie, and the other mermaids looked confused by the pantomime, Po, Ace, and Luffy understood immediately - Gustave was injured but not seriously, and would recover completely with a few days of rest.
"Brother Gustave is going to be okay!" Camie exclaimed with relief, then tilted her head curiously. "But why doesn't Tom talk? Can't he speak?"
Tom looked down at the adorable mermaid child and, with obvious reluctance, opened his mouth. "I simply prefer not to speak most of the time," he said in a surprisingly deep, gravelly voice that contrasted sharply with his cartoon appearance.
To demonstrate his linguistic abilities, Tom proceeded to speak several phrases in different languages - French, Spanish, German, and several others that none of them recognized.
Camie's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Tom is amazing!"
But it was Jinbe who reacted most dramatically to the demonstration. His expression grew intense as he focused on one particular language Tom had used.
"Mr. Tom, could you please repeat the sixth language you just spoke?" Jinbe asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
Tom looked puzzled by the specific request but obliged, producing a series of deep, resonant sounds that seemed more like whale song than conventional speech.
"That's it! That's exactly it!" Jinbe exclaimed, grabbing Tom's paws with tears in his eyes. "This is the ancient language of the Sea Kings recorded in Fish-Man Island's historical archives! No one on our island has been able to speak it for generations!"
Tom blinked in confusion as the massive fish-man practically danced with excitement.
"Mr. Tom, would you please consider coming to Fish-Man Island with me?" Jinbe pleaded earnestly.
Overwhelmed by the unexpected attention, Tom looked helplessly toward Po. While he enjoyed competing with Luffy for leadership of their little group, this kind of diplomatic situation was well beyond his comfort zone. Normally Gustave would handle such matters, but with their chef unconscious...
Fortunately, Po's natural wisdom and years of martial arts training had prepared him for moments like these.
"Mr. Jinbe," Po said calmly, "Gustave is still unconscious. Perhaps we should wait until he recovers before making any travel plans?"
Jinbe immediately looked embarrassed by his enthusiasm. "Of course! How thoughtless of me. We should wait until Mr. Gustave awakens before discussing anything further. I'll inform King Neptune about this development - I'm certain he'll want to welcome all of you with the highest honors!"
Po nodded agreeably, assuring Jinbe that they would visit Fish-Man Island together once Gustave recovered.
After exchanging contact information, the groups prepared to part ways temporarily. Jinbe would escort Camie and the three rescued mermaids back to their home beneath the sea, while Po would take the unconscious Gustave back to Marineford for recovery.
As it turned out, their destinations weren't far apart - Fish-Man Island lay 10,000 meters below the Holy Land of Mariejois, which was relatively close to Marineford. They traveled together until reaching the waters near Marine Headquarters before finally separating.
When Gustave finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying in Garp's familiar guest room.
"Uncle Gustave! You're awake!" Ace exclaimed happily, rushing to his bedside.
"Ace... how long was I unconscious? What's happened while I was out?" Gustave asked, managing a weak smile despite his exhaustion.
"You've been sleeping for two whole days, Uncle Gustave. And there's been quite a bit of fallout from your fight with the Slave King..." Ace began recounting the events.
Despite the battle taking place on the chaotic Island 1 of Sabaody Archipelago, the sheer scale of destruction had been impossible to ignore. Since the archipelago was frequently visited by World Nobles, the Marine had been forced to respond immediately.
Admiral Kizaru had been dragged away from his leisurely duties by a furious Sengoku and ordered to investigate. By the time he'd made his characteristically slow journey to the scene, however, the battle was long over.
Surveying the crater that had once been the heart of Island 1, Kizaru had questioned several witnesses about what they'd seen. Descriptions of a "massive blue giant" and "divine lightning" had made it clear that Gustave had been involved in the destruction.
Upon learning that Gustave had emerged victorious, Kizaru had seen no reason to rush back to headquarters. Instead, he'd taken his time exploring the archipelago's famous restaurants before filing his report - after all, his expense account needed justification.
When Kizaru finally returned to Marineford, Po and the others had already arrived with the unconscious Gustave and briefed Garp on the situation.
The World Government had initially wanted to take action against Gustave. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was considered one of the most dangerous abilities in existence, and its user had just demonstrated power capable of destroying entire islands. Such strength needed to be controlled.
But Garp had shut down those discussions with his characteristic bluntness, while Sengoku had pointed out Gustave's exemplary record of cooperation with the Marine, including his crucial role in capturing Jack the Drought. Even Zephyr had added his voice to Gustave's defense.
Faced with such unified support from the Marine's leadership, the World Government had grudgingly decided to let the matter drop.
This was the benefit of Gustave's consistent efforts to build positive relationships and maintain his reputation. When he'd been weaker, these connections had provided protection.